OH DEAR, OH DEAR, OH DEAR, OH DEAR, OH DEER!!!!

They've just about beaten me this time. One gardener can only take so many setbacks (after setback, after setback, after setback... you get the idea). I seem to be stuck on a perpetual cycle of getting all hyped about a plant only to have my dreams shattered when it gets munched to the ground. I'm not naive about it, I read up, do my homework, but you soon learn that calling a plant deer resistant, and it actually being that are 2 very different things.

The worst thing about it is that I'll sometimes spend years raising a plant from seed (again after finding multiple sources that say deer won't touch it) and after going an entire season without a nibble, suddenly, next season the deer decide to change things up and it gets devoured. Needles to say I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel as far as plants go that won't immediately become another scrumptious menu item on the deer buffet that is my garden. I even had trouble with them eating milkweed and wild onion last year, which are both said to be "deer proof". So without any new natives to try (I've literally experimented with just about every regionally endemic deer resistant plant at this point) what's one to do?... answer: nurse plants!

Now, I may have kind of ripped this term off (I think its usually used to refer to plants that get planted with desirable semi-parastic species), it definitely works here. Lately I try to use species that are known specifically for deterring deer and "borrow" their protective properties and set plants that usually wouldn't have a shot when grown on their own, in and among them. So if you are like me and won't have the funds for a deer fence for a very, very, very long time, and screaming and running after the deer like a crazy person isn't quite doing the trick (not that I do that on a weekly basis or anything..) you might as well give some of these guys a try. About half of these plants I've grown personally, and the remainder I'll give a try this season. As with many of the deer deterring plants most of them are in the mint family, so if they meet that criteria, and have a reputation for deterring deer, chances are they actually do. Let me know if I'm wrong.



Agastache feoniculum - Anise Hyssop
Zones 3-8
I'm trying this guy out for the first time this season. I've avoided this species in the past for 2 reasons. The first being I have super clay-ey and seasonally saturated soils (this guy supposedly hates clay) and the second being that it is apparently an aggresive reseeder and can get upwards of 4 feet so would eat any other small plants around it. But I recently came across a strain (Agastache 'Select Blue' offered by
Specialy Perennials that is supposedly clay tolerant and super hardy. Given the wide range of this plant in the wild (from coast to coast) I imagine its much more adaptable than given credit and is simply a function of provenance. Proabably a lot of untapped potential for the selection of superior and variant forms. Other than this strain the only other I've come across is 'Blue Spike' (here, here, or here) if your looking for something for a smaller garden. THE plant for pollinators.
Purchase from: Ion Exchange, Morning Sky Greenery, Prairie Moon Nursery, Almost Eden Plants, Amanda's Garden, American Meadows, Colonial Creek Farm, Companion Plants, Everwilde Farms, High Country Gardens, J.L. Hudson Seedsman, Joy Creek Nursery, Michigan Native Butterfly Farm, Select Seeds, Sow True Seed, Prairie Nursery



Euphorbia corollata - Flowering Spurge
Zones 3-9
As much as I would like to grow this plant, probably not gonna happen anytime soon. But if your lucky enough to be blessed with good drainage and a sunny spot, and also have a deer problem definitely give this one a try.
Purchase from: Prairie Moon, Avant Gardens, Everwilde Farms, Heritage Flower Farm, Lazy S'S Farm, Niche Gardens, Plant Delights, Midwest Groundcovers, Ion Exchange, Rare Find Nursery, Agrecol


MONARDA
My love for this genus continues to grow with each passing year. Also seems to be going through a bit of a renaissance lately, with a ridiculous number of hybrids and cultivars, although 'Jacob Kline' will always have my heart.


Monarda bradburiana - Bradbury's Bee Balm
Zones 4-8
My favorite of the bunch. Earliest blooming and virtually mildew free foliage. Great fall color.
Purchase from: American Meadows, Avant Gardens, Gardens in the Wood of Grassy Creek, Niche Gardens, Digging Dog, Prairie Moon, Rare Find


Monarda didyma - Scarlet beebalm
Zones 3-8
The best species for heavy wet soils. Red is the default, but there are varieties in everything from deep purple to bright pink. Hummingbird favorite.
Purchase from: Toadshade Wildflower Farm, Everwilde Farms, Prairie Nursery, Burpee, Outside Pride


Monarda fistulosa - Wild Bergamot
Zones 3-9
One of the easiest wildflowers you can grow. Takes a wide range of soils and smells amazing whenever you brush up against the foliage (as do pretty much all the monardas, but for some reason this species seems to be more fragrant to me).
Purchase from: A Nearly Native Nursery, Almost Eden Plants, Amanda's Garden, American Meadows, Colonial Creek Farm, Everwilde Farms, Gardens in the Wood of Grassy Creek, Grimm's Gardens, High Country Gardens, J.L. Hudson Seedsman, Michigan Native Butterfly Farm, Shady Oak Butterfly Farm, The Blooming Artichoke Herbary, The Growers Exchange, Toadshade Wildflower Farm, Prairie Nursery, Prairie Moon, Morning Sky Greenery



Nepeta subsellis - Japanese Catmint
Zones 4-8
Supposedly the best Nepeta for poorly drained soils, and actually appreciates some extra moisture (although not too much, seems to have rotted out in some of the wetter spots in the garden). Verdict is still out on this one, but hoping it really takes off this year. Starts flowering in late spring and (provided its happy) continues till frost.
Purchase from: Lazy S'S Farm & Nursery, Digging Dog Nursery


PYCNANTHEMUM
This genus has all the thugish-ness that the mint family is known for, so consider yourself warned before you decide to plant any of these species. Trying to attract pollinators?... look no further. This genus cannot be beat.


Pycnanthemum incanum - Hoary Mountain Mint
Zones 5-8
Probably the most tolerant of drier soils.
Purchase from: Niche Gardens, The Growers Exchange, Toadshade Wildflower Farm, Rarefind Nursery, Enchanter's Garden, Terrior Seeds


Pycnanthemum muticum - Short-toothed Mountain Mint
Zones 4-8
Will tolerate more shade and moisture than the other species (although P. tenuifolium tolerates a significant amount of wetness).
Purchase from: Accents for Home and Garden, Almost Eden Plants, American Meadows, Avant Gardens, Colonial Creek Farm, Lazy S'S Farm, Niche Gardens, Rose Franklin's Perennials & Herbs,
Select Seeds



Pycnanthemum tenuifolium - Slender Mountain Mint
Zones 4-8
I have grown this species in my own garden and it has self seeded faster than probably anything else I have grown. Beautifully scented, but a thug none the less.
Purchase from: Accents for Home and Garden, Almost Eden Plants, Avant Gardens, Companion Plants, Grimm's Gardens, Joy Creek Nursery, Morning Sky Greenery, Prairie Nursery




Salvia uliginosa - Bog Sage
Zones (6)7-10
Very blue and very pungent. One of 2 marginally hardy exotics I'm utilizing to keep the deer at bay and one of my all around favorite plants. Grows in just about any soil as long as it's not bone dry (but seems to love my wet clay). Attempting to grow from seed this season, although not much info out there on germination requirments. Super easy from cuttings.
Purchase from: Accents for Home and Garden, Avant Gardens, Colonial Creek Farm, Digging Dog, Gardens in the Wood of Grassy Creek, Joy Creek, Lazy S'S Farm, Plant Delights, Putnam Hill, Vincent Gardens



Salvia guaranitica - Anise-Scented Sage
Zones (6)7-10
Excited to try this marginally hardy salvia. Moisture lover, although dryness during the colder months is supposed to improve its cold hardiness. Trying a few varities including the most cold hardy (Argentine Skies). The most commonly offered 'Black and Blue' is probably one of the least hardy varities. Hoping they over winter for me, but will be allowing whatever I plant to cross polinate and try growing up the progeny next season.
Purchase from: Gardens in the Wood of Grassy Creek, Niche Gardens, Select Seeds


IMAGE SOURCES: Deer (TOP IMAGE), A. foeniculum (LEFT, RIGHT); E. corollata (LEFT, RIGHT, BOTTOM);) M. bradburiana (LEFT, RIGHT); M. didyma (LEFT, RIGHT); N. subsellis (LEFT, RIGHT); P. incanum; P. muticum; S. guaranitica (LEFT, RIGHT); S. uliginosa (LEFT, RIGHT)

AUGUST LESSONS

There's something about August that forces one to pause... reflect... take stock. I'm not sure if it's the weather or the residual feelings that are ingrained in the subconscious of every former student, but somehow as the month begins to wain so to does the passage of time. By the last week of the month, the viscosity of life seems almost unbearable, suffocating even. It's no surprise that this time of year is the most challenging for a gardener (at least in my own limited experience).

At this point in the season all the garden's flaws seem to be front and center as most of the garden is in a not so graceful transitional phase, with many of the summer plants looking heat weary and worn, and the fall chorus still getting warmed up (or in this case cooled down). While fall still holds latent potential, much of the garden is past its prime and the sometimes harsh contrast between your own over-inflated expectations and the reality of what's in front of you can be a real downer. As unpleasant as this post summer reality might be, its an unavoidable, but necessary part of of having a garden. It prompts an efficiency and pragmatism that relentlessly pushes the design forward. This has been especially true of my recent endeavor, still in its infancy.

So rather than simply dwell on the negative, I thought I'd share some of my lessons by highlighting a few of the plants that surprised me... or will hopefully surprise me this year (both the good and the bad):


1. THOU SHALL KNOW THINE PLANT(S).


Liatris pyanostacha - Prairie Blazing Star
Zones 3-9
This is a great instance of not fully understanding a plant's unique qualities and attributes prior to using it in the garden, and then being dissapointed when the plant behaves exactly as it should. I had read repeatedly that this species of Liatris excelled in clay (which it obviously does). And of course, rather than investigating the plant any further, I immediately dropped the research part of getting to know the plant and left the rest up to my imagination. If I had actually followed up, even a little bit, I would have discovered that L. pyanostacha is the gangly monster of the genus. By the time they actually get around to flowering (at least in a heavier, fairly moist soil) the garden looks a bit like it's being invaded by a swarm of giant fuzzy purple caterpillars, creeping along the ground and on top of whatever poor neighbor they've happened to topple over on. Had I been a proper gardener and done my homework, I would have realized that when grown in a richer soil this species needs support from sturdier neighbors just as it does in it's prairie home (I'm gonna try interplanting it with either Boltonia asteroides, Agastache foeniculum, or Doellingeria umbellata. Haven't quite made up my mind just yet).
Purchase from: Agrecol, Almost Eden, Everwilde Farms, Forest Keeling, Hoffie Nursery, Ion Exchange, Lazy S'S Farm, Outback Nursery, Niche Gardens, Morning Sky Greenery, Prairie Moon, Prairie Nursery, Shooting Star Nursery, Spence Nursery

2. THOU SHALL PRESCRIBE TO A STRICT GARDENING DOGMA... THEN ACCEPT THAT ALL WHO ADHERE TO DOGMA OF ANY SORT ARE FOOLS AND FANATICS... BUT MAINLY JUST FOOLS.
There are 2 things I swore I'd never do: 1.) bother with any "non-indigenous" plants, and 2.) plant an annual. But, after dealing with voracious deer, water-logged clayey soil, salt, and biting winter winds howling off the Atlantic I've gone with a more "if it grows and doesn't get eaten I grow more of it" mentality. I might be over-simplifying just a bit, but I've been willing to bend my principles as of late (cautiously as always), but bend them none the less.


Salvia uliginosa - Bog Sage
Zones (6)7-10, surprisingly cold hardy for a Brazilian native
This tender perennial sage (that despite it's name, doesn't actually require a boggy soil) finally won me over with its long airy spires of true blue flowers. It's only been in the ground a little over a month now, but I'm already in love. At the very least (even if it doesn't come back) I'll be planting it in droves around the plants the deer favor, as it's pretty pungent, even for a sage. Pretty sure it would deter even the most determined of those perpetually munching herbivores.
Purchase from: Accents for Home and Garden, Avant Gardens, Colonial Creek Farm, Digging Dog, Gardens in the Wood of Grassy Creek, Joy Creek, Lazy S'S Farm, Plant Delights, Putnam Hill, Vincent Gardens


Salvia nutans - Nodding Sage
Zones 3-9. I've also seen a few 6-10, but given its natural range 3-9 is more likely.
Guess I'm just a softy for those damn sages (the deer resistant thing doesn't hurt either). I'll be planting a pair of these in the highest and driest part of the garden to see if they make it through the winter. If they live up to the hype and survive, the texture and movement this species simply can't be beat.
Purchase from: Flowers by the Sea

3. THOU SHALL EMBRACE SERENDIPITY, YET ALSO ACCEPT THINE HAND OF LADY REALITY WHILST SHE SLAPPEST THOU ACROSS THE FACE.

Doellingeria umbellata (syn. Aster umbellatus) - Flat-topped White Aster
Zones 3-8
I accidentally collected the seed of this species while attempting to collect both Symphyotrichum laeve and Symphyotrichum prenanthoides. As it turns out the deer love both S. laeve and S. prenanthoides, but seem to totally avoid Doellingeria umbellata. I've now planted this (previously unknown to me) aster in with the other 2 species to act as a deer deterrent. Not the showiest species, but pretty 'nough with clean dark green foliage all season to boot.
Purchase from: American Meadows, Everwilde Farms, Morning Sky Greenery, Prairie Moon

4. THOU SHALL BREATHE.

Magnolia virginiana - Sweetbay Magnolia
Zones 5-9
While Sweetbay Magnolia may be a rather ubiquitous small landscape tree south of New England, many of the more cold hardy cultivars have yet to be fully utilized up north. I've taken some initiative by taking cuttings of northern stock material given that the more cold hardy cultivars (mainly 'Henry Hicks', 'Ned's Northern Belle' and 'Moonglow' aka 'Jim Wilson') aren't readily available in the north (go figure). Despite almost losing everything at one point, I now have a least 4 rooted cuttings that I'll hopefully be harvesting seed off of in a few years to spread around the property and neighboring swamps.
Purchase from: Beaver Creek, Briggs Forest Farm, Kelly Nursery, Gardensoyvey, Pleasant Run, Sooner Plant Farm, Southeastern Natives, Spring Meadow, Tankard Nurseries